Aphrodite, when the men whistled
did you stop to make them pay
did you give them what they wanted:
your body, on full display, the glowing
heat death of a sun, making them regret
ever demanding your body at all
did you let them drink in the sight of you
let them drown in their own desire
let their greed be the matchbox
that ignites their combustion
their swan song
the whistle
drunk on the light of your body
scorched by their own gluttony
Bianca Phipps is a Chicago-based spoken word poet and actor, originally from San Antonio, TX. She has opened for poets such as Sister Outsider Poetry, Amy Everhart, and Ken Arkind. Her work explores life as a young intersectional feminist, the hurt & healing of trauma, and the intersection between familial ties & forgiveness. In her free time, Bianca enjoys eating pizza, taking down the patriarchy, and watching Lost (no spoilers!). She is the author of the chapbook White River Happiness.
